Bad bosses to be black listed in Cooks

Abusive Cook Island employers who mistreat their foreign staff could soon be listed on a government record.

Foreign workers have complained they are being forced to surrender their passports, work 14 hour days, or told visiting their home country would jeopardise future employment.

To combat the problem, the non-government organisation, Punanga Tauturu, says its data and data from the Labour Division of Internal Affairs could be handed over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration to set up a record to monitor employers.

A spokesperson for Punanga Tauturu, Nga Teinangaro, says many workers are afraid to complain for fear of repercussions from their employer and the record is long overdue.

She says statistics on complaints lodged by foreign workers cannot be released because of confidentiality issues but even a couple cases of abuse is unacceptable.